Wardrobe-trunk and dresser.



H. W. ROUNTREE.

WARDROBE TRUNK AND DRESSER.

- APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, 1911 Patented Apr. 29, 1913'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. W. ROUNTREE.

WARDROBE TRUNK AND DRESSER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.18, 1911. 1,96,491 Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY W. CGTTRELL, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

WARDROBE-TRUNK AND DRESSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

liatented Apr. 29, 1913.

Application filed February 18, 1911. Serial No. 609,525.

To all whomizf may concern:

Be it known that I, I'IENRY N. ltoon'rnnn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of and whose post-office address is Richmond,county of Henrico, and State of Virginia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in \VardrobeTrunks and Dressers, of which thefollowing is a full and clear specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective vie-w of myimproved trunk opened to show its use as a wardrobe and as a dresser;Fig. transverse section of the trunk closed; and Fig. 3 a detailperspective view of the upper outer corner of the wardrobe section orframe.

The principal object of this invention is to so construct and arrange anupwardlyswinging wardrobe tray or section that it shall have a maximumcapacity and at the same time permit the body of the trunk to be made ofa length not materially, if any greater than ordinary trunks, theconstruction being such that when the trunk is closed I the garments inthe wardrobe section will be prevented from being mussed and when openedthe garments will be in position to be readily placed in the wardrobesection and removed therefrom, a special feature of importance beingthat any one of the garment hangers may be removed and replaced withoutdisturbing the others; as more fully hereinafter set forth.

A further object is use as a dresser or chilfonnier, hereinafter setforth.

The trunk body is constructed in the usual or any improved manner exceptthat its front wall is arranged to open outwardly and downwardly, beingpreferably constructed of two sections a and b, the lower one of whichis hinged to the upper edge of a stationary section a of the front walland the upper one of which is hinged to the upper edge of the aforesaidsection b. As thus constructed this front wall may be opened downwardlyand outwardly, either one or swung down and each section being providedwith suitable devices for locking its ends to the front edges of the endwalls (Z of the trunk when the trunk is closed.

to adapt the trunk for as more fully 2 a vertical both sections beingcapable of being i If desired other garment hangers, for convenience ingettmg at the contents removal of the garments wall may be foldedinwardly under the lower section b, as is evident.

fit a suitable distance from one end of the trunk a vertical partition 6is fixed, the upper edge of this partition terminating a suitabledistance from the top of the trunk. Bet-ween this partition 0 and theend wall (Z farthest from the partion is mounted a series of drawertrays f which are adapted to he slid outwardly and be removed from thetrunk when the front wall is opened downwardly.

Hinged to the upper edge of the partition 0 is the lower edge of theback wall 9 of the ward-robe frame or tray, and attached to the upperedge of this back wall 7 is an open rectangular frame it within which ismounted the rod 2' for supporting the garment hangers. At the rear edgeof the wardrobe tray is a side wall 7' having its vertical edge fastenedto the wall 9 and its top edge to the inner end bar of the frame it. Thefront edge of this wall j when the tray is raised to a vertical positionabuts against the inner face of the adjacent end wall of the trunk bodyand is temporarily locked in that position by means of a spring bolt 70or other fastening. The front of the wardrobe section is open, and thefront edge of the wardrobe section is provided with a door Z which ishinged to the forward edge of the wall 9 and is adapted to be locked ina closed position by a suitable sliding bolt m whose upper end isadapted to enter a keeper a on the front end bar of the frame it. Theframe'h is braced at the front edge of the tray by a bar 0 extendingdiagonally from the adjacent end bar of the frame it to the outervertical edge of the back wall g.

It will be observed that when the wardrobe section is folded down intothe trunk it extends from the partition 6 to the farther of the two endwalls, and that when it is raised to a vertical position it will belocked by the bolt is in direct vertical alinement with the space formedat the end of the trunk between the partition 6 and the adjacent endwall, so that this space will afford ample room for the longestgarments. It will be observed also that with my construction any one ofthe garment hangers may be removed and replaced without removing thethis insertion and being accomplished of the trunk, the upper section aof the front l through the open front edge of the tray and being greatlyfacilitated by the opening of the door sections a, and b. In this way Iavoid mutilation of the end wall of the i trunk and also avoid thenecessity of em- I the ploying extensible garment hanger rods adapted tobe drawn outwardly beyond the end of the trunk. The garment hangers canbe of any suitable variety except that in every case they will be hungto the rod 11 in such a manner that they may be readily removedtherefrom without the necessity of sliding them off either end of therod; in drawing I illustrate the preferred hanger which is provided withan open hook which may be conveniently lifted off the rod 2' and thehanger and its garments easily removed edgewisely from the wardrobespace. It will be observed also that by hinging the front edge wall ofthe ward robe section that wall is made to constitute a door which maybe opened outwardly when the wardrobe section is raised and which whenthe wardrobe section is folded down into the trunk will constitute thefront edge wall of the tray and thus protect the garments while they arebeing folded down into the trunk or raised therefrom. Suitable straps 7)may be secured within the wardrobe section to assist in holding thegarments in a compact condition while being transported. Also a board 9and straps 1' may be arranged within the bottom of the end space for thepurpose of packing therein suitable garments, where they will be out ofthe way of the garments hung in the wardrobe section.

Suitable vertical bat-tens or cleats 8 may be fastened to the innerfaces of the hinged front sections a and b to embrace the front edges ofthe end walls of the trunk and the partition (2 to brace said walls andpartition when the trunk is closed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is i 1. In combination with a trunk, of awardrobe section pivoted between the front and back Walls of the trunknear one end thereof. the wardrobe section being thereby adapted toswing from a horizontal position within the trunk to a verticalposition, means for holding the wardrobe section in a vertical position,said wardrobe section having its front edge open and being provided witha garment supporting rod in its top lying substantially parallel withthe front wall of the trunk, the front wall of the trunk being providedwit-h a door section coincident with said open front edge of thewardrobe sect-ion, whereby when the wardrobe section is raised to avertical position the garments shall hang within the trunk and any oneof the garment hangers may be withdrawn edgewisely out through the frontof the trunk without removing any of the other hangers or mussing thegarments thereon.

2. In combination with a trunk, of a wardrobe section pivoted betweenthe front and back walls of the trunk near one end thereof the wardrobesection being thereby adapted to swing from a horizontal position withinthe trunk to a verticalposition, means for holding the wardrobe sectionin a vertical position, said wardrobe section having its front edge openand being provided with a garment support-ing rod in its top lyingsubstantially parallel with the front wall of the trunk, the front wallof the trunk being provided with a door section coincident with saidopen front edge of the Wardrobe section, whereby when the wardrobesection is raised to a vertical position the garments shall hang withinthe trunk and any one of the garment hangers may be withdrawn edgewiselyout through the front of the trunk without removing any of the otherhangers or mussing the garments thereon, said open front side of thewardrobe section having a door hinged to the front edge of its backwall, the lower end of this door extending down into the trunk below thetop edge of the front wall thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

HENRY W. ROUNTREE.

Witnesses:

W. HoLLADAY, O. E. FLANHART.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

